Robertson, Judge William J., House
Why it's listed
Built about 1859 at 705 Park Street in Charlottesville, this two-story brick house blends Italianate and Gothic Revival features. Its double-gabled front, bracketed eaves, pyramidal window hoods and scored, rendered walls were originally painted in mauve and brownish purple. The design appears to draw on 1850s pattern books, most likely Calvert Vaux's Villas and Cottages. The architect is unknown. The house was built for William J. Robertson, a Commonwealth's Attorney for Albemarle County and a judge on Virginia's Court of Appeals. After the Civil War he became a prominent corporate lawyer for railroads and argued the Lee family's Arlington case before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1888 he was elected the first president of the Virginia State Bar Association. He lived in the house until his death in 1898. Later owners added radiators, replaced the north wing with a porch and built a garage, but the original room arrangement, mantels and stair details survive.
Significance in brief: The house is tied to William J. Robertson, a leading Virginia lawyer and judge of the state Court of Appeals, and first president of the Virginia State Bar Association in 1888. It is also a sophisticated example of mid-nineteenth-century pattern-book-inspired architecture, likely drawing on Calvert Vaux's Villas and Cottages (1857). It is significant at the state level.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99001601, listed December 22, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 705 Park St., Charlottesville (Independent City) |
|---|---|
| County | Charlottesville |
| Listed | December 22, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001601 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1859-1898 |
| Architectural style | Italianate; Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Law |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a single dwelling; retains good architectural integrity, with the north wing removed about 1920 and some bathrooms and closets added. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Within district | Charlottesville and Albemarle County Courthouse Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.03712, -78.47587 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99001601.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15229815
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.